Blog from round 1
I’ll try and post every 25 riders or so, with updates on how the course is riding, who has done well, who hasn’t, etc… Please don’t expect an account of every rider’s trips, but I’ll try to keep you up to date!! Scroll down to see the most recent posting… See a course description…
After the first 25…
Kels Bonham started out the day, going first of the 277 riders scheduled to ride the course today. She really attacked the course, which rewards bold, forward riding. She rode confidently and had a great, forward rhythm around the course. She even took an inside cut to the long gallop to the last oxer, and pulled it off with flair.
The next rider, Katie McDaniel, had a nice go, with a few rubs. Then, Suzanne Snyder showed what a more tentative ride would produce, with a few added strides and some awkward distances. Emily van der Walde didn’t get enough of a flow going right off the bat, and had a stop at the oxer at Fence 2, and then added a stride in the one-stride distance at 4AB.
Hardin Towell rode a very fluid, precise course. He chose more conservative options than Bonham, doing six strides around the corner to the narrow coop, and making a wide, sweeping turn to the gallop to the last oxer. But his ride was very smooth.
Danielle Pulliam ran into trouble at 4A, where her horse stopped three times and she was eliminated. Rails were the problem for both Michael Danner and Danielle Stacy.
Maggie McAlary rode a very good round. She had a rail at the front rail of 4A, but was faultless everywhere else, and really galloped the last oxer with flair.
Chloe Desjarlais didn’t have a good day—her horse was having no part of the festivities, stopping three times at the first fence, and she fell off. Stops also eliminated Ryan Sassmannshausen.
It looks as though the main challenges for the riders are going to be getting their horses going forward from fence 1 to get the five strides to fence 2, should that be their plan. Then, they really have to be definite to 4AB—there have been quite a few two-stride performances through the combination. The narrow coop hasn’t caused any run-outs or stops yet, but there has been one rail and a few awkward jumps there.
After the first 50….
Amelia McArdle, fresh off her championship in the small junior hunters, 15 & under, put in a really nice, flowing round, as did Olivia Clancy, who followed her in the order in 32nd. Megan Fellows was eliminated when her horse stopped once at fence 1, then twice more at fence 2.
Lindsay Sceats, winner of the Region 6 ASPCA Maclay Regionals, rode beautifully, with a forward ride from fence 1 to 2, and a seamless shifting back of gears for the three short strides to fence 3. The rest of her round was very precise, with a real forward ride to the last oxer. She did make the outside turn to the last oxer, and did the more conservative six strides to the narrow coop at fence 6. So far, Kels Bonham has been the only one to cut inside to the last fence, and her aggressive ride as first to go has stood out.
Anna Schierholz had a rail at 7B, and a few sticky jumps. Julianna Richardson rode very well, though she had the front rail of fence 2 down. That front rail seems to be falling quite frequently, as riders try to make sure they get up that forward first line. They have to be very careful to balance that forward ride with a degree of caution!
Catherine Pugliese put in a nice round. She had to work sometimes to fit her horse’s seemingly monstrous strides into the distances, but she did it smoothly and had no major mistakes. Kathryn Stenberg also put in a very flowing round. Amanda Entremont had some very sticky fences in the beginning of the course, then a run-out at the coop at fence 6. Lauren Horth had a very nice round.
Lets see if the judges, Jimmy Torano and Bill Moroney, agree with my evaluations!! The first standby….
11 – Maggie McAlary
31 – Amelia McArdle
45 – Kathryn Stenberg
15 – Saer Coulter
38 – Lindsay Sceats
7 – Jack Hardin Towell Jr.
50 – Lauren Horth
43 – Catherine Pugliese
1 – Kels Bonham
9 – Michael Danner
2 – Katie McDaniel
20 – Jennifer Burke
42 – Christy Destefano
40 – Julianna Richardson
27 – Abby Cook
33 – Annie Worthman
26 – Samantha Harrison
25 – Katie Parker
12 – Noah Abramson
37 – Francesca Bolfo
It looks like those are in order of preference, from top to bottom… And it looks like they didn’t like Kels Bonham’s bold ride as much as I did, but otherwise I wasn’t too far off! I’ll keep going!
And we’ve gotten the first 50 done in an hour and a half. Doing the math, that means that we’ll get 100 trips in every three hours. Which means that the first round should be finishing up right about 4 o’clock, which is really pretty speedy for this event! Then, there’ll be about 25 or 30 to go again, and then perhaps a final test….
After the first 75…
Cortie Wetherill, the 51st to go, did not have a good round. He tried valiantly to get the forward five strides up to the second fence, but his horse added a stride at the last minute and they climbed over it. The same thing happened in the one-stride at 10AB, where they put two strides in. Alex Maida was good, as was Veronica Tracy, from California. Sika Sievers’ horse ran out at the spilt rail fence combination at 4AB twice, but she finished up with a well-ridden rest of her round.
Jennifer Stillman, of Beverly Hills, Calif., had the same problem as Wetherill. She rode up to fence 2 quite strongly, but her horse just didn’t get off the ground and added a stride. There’s a dotted line at the in-gate end of the ring, which only allows the riders a small area to circle before starting their round. It’s proving to be challenging for them to get enough pace going in that small starting circle to carry them over the first fence and down the long five strides to the second. I’m sure they’re all debating whether the judges would punish a well-executed six strides between fences 1 and 2. I would think that the judges would reward a rider who took into account their horse’s abilities and stride length, and chose to do the six strides comfortably, if that was a better option for them. But who know! It’s the Medal Finals. This first line is definitely becoming the defining test, however.
Lindsey Demont had a rail at 4A, and then lost both stirrups mid-way around the course. She bravely chose to finish the course without them! The first real drama of the day came when Callie Seaman’s horse decided at the last minute that he might not want to jump the narrow coop at fence 6, and stumbled over it, and she came off over his head.
Nicoletta von Heidegger got the five strides to fence 2 done, but then pulled the front rail of fence 2. Her round was otherwise very nice, and well-executed, though she was a tad bit conservative to the last fence.
Larissa Laffey, of Byfield, Mass., chose to do the six strides from fences 1 to 2, and did it well. But she got in deep to 7AB, and the horse double-clutched over the oxer out of the combination, and she had both rails down. It would have been interesting to see what the judges did with the well-done six strides in the first line had she not had the mistake.
Nicole Husky, of Pacific Palisades, Calif., rode the first line beautifully in five to three strides, and then finished with a very nice trip. Heather Dobbs—whose twin, Hillary, won the individual Prix des States junior jumper gold last night—had a really lovely round, with just one hard rub. Jennifer Waxman, the grand junior hunter champion earlier in the weekend on Saloon, rode beautifully, but missed a change behind on the turn to 7AB. Her hand-gallop to the last oxer was really well-done.
Megan Massaro, 73rd to go and a former Pony Medal Finals winner (in 2003), had the front rail of the spilt-rail oxer at 4A down, but an otherwise quite nice trip.
Caitlin Koles’ horse looked slightly unnerved by the atmosphere, and stopped three times at the first fence, eliminating them. She then had to work hard to get him to the other end of the ring, to leave. I always feel awful for those whose long year of hard work—lessons, qualifying, and stress—end so abruptly and disappointingly.
After the first 100…
Wow! A little more than a third the way there… Nicole Bourgeois, of Sherwood, Ore., did the first line quite nicely, but her horse slammed on the brakes at the out of the combination at 4AB twice. She got him over it, and had quite a nice ride for the rest of the course.
Jessica Springsteen rode well, but added in the one-stride at 4AB, and then had a rail at 10B. She rode Cino, the big gray horse her family owns, and leased to Sloane Coles for all her equitation success the last two years.
Sloane Coles rode the five to three strides beautifully, and didn’t put a foot wrong for the rest of the course, including a bold gallop to the last. I’d say she’s poised for a top call in the standby. Haylie Jayne had the front rail of 4A down, but was very precise and fluid, riding Ivy. She’ll probably be in the hunt as well.
Julie Welles, for sure one of the favorites to win, had a slightly quiet distance to the first fence, but got the five strides to fence 2 done, and was smooth and precise otherwise, with a phenomenal gallop to the last.
Chelsea Moss rode the famous Logan, whom Brianne Goutal rode to her historic wins in all the equitation finals. She had the front rail of 4A down, but a nice ride after that, with a lovely last fence.
The second standby as follows…
52 – Alex Maida
86 – Sloane Coles
92 – Julie Welles
11 – Maggie McAlary
91 – Haylie Jayne
31 – Amelia McArdle
68 – Heather Dobbs
45 – Kathryn Stenberg
15 – Saer Coulter
38 – Lindsay Sceats
7 – Jack Hardin Towell Jr.
67 – Nicole Husky
96 – Hayden Warmington
50 – Lauren Horth
43 – Catherine Pugliese
53 – Veronica Tracy
1 – Kels Bonham
63 – Laura King-Kaplan
73 – Megan Massaro
9 – Michael Danner
2 – Katie McDaniel
20 – Jennifer Burke
42 – Christy Destefano
94 – Chelsea Moss
40 – Julianna Richardson
After the first 125…
Zazou Hoffman rode Littlefoot gorgeously, but had the front rail of 4A down. It was her only real flaw I saw, so it’ll be interesting to see what the judges do with that. They placed Haylie Jayne fifth in the standby with the same rail…
Torie Immel, who won the Region 8 ASPCA Maclay Regional, had a hard rub behind at fence 3 and pulled the front rail of the Swedish oxer at 7A, but turned in a thoughtful, well-ridden round. Amanda Powers of Dover, Mass., rode well and had a nice trip, but was a little bit long to the last fence.
Johanna Hyyppa looked good, but had the front rail of the Swedish oxer at 7A down. Lindsey Mohr came out of the corner to 4A very aggressively, but her horse ran out.
The crowd-popular Nikko Ritter, a former star of the Animal Planet Road To The Maclay series, pushed to get the five strides from fence 1 to 2, but made the line work. From there, he got a nice flow going, and had a lovely round. We’ll probably be seeing him ride again today.
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Kendra Vicary of Whitehouse, Ohio, is a very definite, forward rider, and her round had a nice confidence to it. She was bold and got the job done neatly, though she could have ridden the last fence a little more daringly. Molly Braswell, daughter of trainer Bobby Braswell, had a really nice round, but with a hard run at 10B. She rode the last fence conservatively, but was careful and precise throughout.
After the first 150…
Tatiana Dzavik has been in the ribbons in the Medal Finals before, but this won’t be her year to win. Her horse unceremoniously slammed on the brakes at the Swedish oxer combination of 7AB three times, eliminating her.
Hannah Goodson-Cutt, of Beverly Hills, Calif., rode well and had a nice round, but didn’t quite get the change behind on the turn to fence 6, and trotted a stride to change it. And we’ll get to see what the judges do with a well-executed six strides from fence 1 to 2, since that was Catherine Pasmore’s choice, and she had a great rest of her ride, despite a few rubs.
Hillary Dobbs, who won the individual gold in the Prix des States junior jumper championships last night, had a very workmanlike round, with bold, definite riding. Nick Dello Joio—son of grand prix rider Norman Dello Joio—rode very well, and did the five strides in the first line easily, though his horse swapped leads twice in the process.
It’s looking as if all the riders—with just a few exceptions–are going to go for the five strides from fence 1 to 2. The ones who get it done well, and fluidly, have shown their mastery of adjusting their horse’s strides and going forward right off the bat. But they have to be careful of the front rail of fence 2. The same challenges face them at 4AB—the fence is a little bit different-looking, and some horses have stopped there, and the distance inside the combination is long, so they have to ride aggressively out of the corner at it. But the light split-rail rails come down easily, and they have to be careful not to push their horses into the front rail of the square oxer of 4A.
Lauren Sturges had the front rail of 4A down in an otherwise nice, fluid round. She really took a chance and galloped down to a long one at the last fence.
The third standby…
52 – Alex Maida
86 – Sloane Coles
92 – Julie Welles
11 – Maggie McAlary
101 – Zazou Hoffman
91 – Haylie Jayne
31 – Amelia McArdle
68 – Heather Dobbs
123 – Molly Braswell
105 – Torie Immel
45 – Kathryn Stenberg
15 – Saer Coulter
38 – Lindsay Sceats
7 – Jack Hardin Towell Jr.
119 – Nikko Ritter
67 – Nicole Husky
132 – Meredith Stafford
96 – Hayden Warmington
141 – Nick Dello Joio
102 – Kyle Wolf
50 – Lauren Horth
43 – Catherine Pugliese
53 – Veronica Tracy
1 – Kels Bonham
144 – Lauren Sturges
After the first 175…
Lexy Reed had a really nice round, with very neat, precise and forward riding. Her horse caught the top rail of the vertical at 4B behind, and it came down. Addison Phillips picked up the Best Child Rider on a Horse honors last night, and she looked the part today, riding to a very nice round. The only noticeable flaw was when her horse swapped twice in the three strides in the first line. But she was very good everywhere, and on the final turn to the last fence, really picked up a rolling gallop and found the last oxer perfectly.
Shelby Wakeman’s first line wasn’t quite as effortless as it could have been—she didn’t quite get up the five enough and left a bit of a gap to fence 2. But the rest of her course looked very polished and professional, and she should join the standby next time around. Paige Beal-Andros, of Pebble Beach, Calif., had a lovely round as well.
Katherine Newman rode very impressively, with no major mistakes and a nice flow. Maria Schaub got a hair deep into the combination at 4AB, and the horse jumped 4A a tad awkwardly, but she rode with a lot of polish and flair.
Henry Pfieffer had the front rail of 4A down, but otherwise looked very good. Euri Uchiyama was also very impressive, with a very smooth trip.
The same problems keep cropping up for the riders—getting the five strides from fences 1 to 2 done smoothly and without rushing, and keeping enough impulsion off the turn to 4AB to get that combination ridden correctly. This course is proving to be a real test of creating and maintaining pace.
After the first 200…
Jacqueline Lubrano rode very forward and positively in her round. Kacey McCann, who rode to second place in last year’s ASPCA Maclay Finals (N.Y.), had a lovely round, with a few rubs and one mildly quiet distance, but she rode beautifully and confidently. Kimberly McCormack put in a very fluid, precise round, but she had the rail on top of the coop down.
Kitt Ritter, who won the Region 2 ASPCA Maclay Regionals, rode her junior hunter, Noterity, in the Medal Finals today. They certainly looked the part, putting in a very well-planned and executed trip, though the front rail of fence 2 came down for them.
And the third and final standby that they’re going to announce before the end of the first round is….
181 – Kacey McCann
52 – Alex Maida
86 – Sloane Coles
92 – Julie Welles
11 – Maggie McAlary
101 – Zazou Hoffman
180 – Emma Lipman
91 – Haylie Jayne
31 – Amelia McArdle
68 – Heather Dobbs
190 – Adrienne Dixon
123 – Molly Braswell
105 – Torie Immel
45 – Kathryn Stenberg
156 – Addison Phillips
157 – Euri Uchiyama
15 – Saer Coulter
160 – Shelby Wakeman
178 – Victoria McNaughton
179 – Catie Boone
38 – Lindsay Sceats
168 – Maria Schaub
7 – Jack Hardin Towell Jr.
187 – Alexandra Biederman
188 – Amanda Hall
After the first 225…
There weren’t too many riders in this section who had rounds without some kind of major mistake. We’re seeing more and more stops at fences 2 and 4A, and 7A. I don’t know if the fatigue of the day is taking it’s toll, or if the riders are getting more nervous as the day goes on, but the really stellar rounds are getting fewer and further between.
Leah Curtiss took some interesting options. She did the six strides from fence 1 to 2, and then cut inside for the final gallop to the last fence—only the second rider all day to do so.
The bright spot of this section was Nick Haness of Cote de Caza, Calif., who won the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals-East (Calif.) in September. He rode to a very proficient round. His horse dropped the vertical coming out of 4AB, catching it behind. And he had a few rubs on the way, but his first line was flawless, and the rest of the ride confident and controlled.
Grace Socha also had a nice go, but had a rail. Alexandra Loprete rode well, but was a little bit too aggressive in getting up the first line in the five strides, and had the front rail of fence 2.
After the first 250…
Emily Pintauro started off this section with a very nice round. Eleanor Kunsman, who won one of the equitation schooling sections yesterday, had a lovely go, but a little bit of a tight distance into the Swedish oxers at 7AB. She should make the standby, I would think, especially with a really nice gallop to the last. Julia Capalino also rode impressively.
Whitney Goulart had a nice round, but had the front rails of 4A and 11 down to mar it. Again, the majority of the riders in this section had major errors—rails or stops–and won’t factor in the final standby. There seems to be a lack of positive riding going on in these last few sections. This course is such a mental test, with all the questions coming fast and thick, one wonders if some riders’ mental focus is slipping a bit. Who knows!
Laura Pfieffer had a nice round, as did Kate Salzman, though Salzman had a rail.
After all 271…
Emily Pintauro started off this section with a very nice round. Eleanor Kunsman, who won one of the equitation schooling sections yesterday, had a lovely go, but a little bit of a tight distance into the Swedish oxers at 7AB. She should make the standby, I would think, especially with a really nice gallop to the last. Julia Capalino also rode impressively.
Whitney Goulart had a nice round, but had the front rails of 4A and 11 down to mar it. Again, the majority of the riders in this section had major errors—rails or stops–and won’t factor in the final standby. There seems to be a lack of positive riding going on in these last few sections. This course is such a mental test, with all the questions coming fast and thick, one wonders if some riders’ mental focus is slipping a bit. Who knows!
Laura Pfieffer had a nice round, as did Kate Salzman, though Salzman had a rail. Elizabeth Lubrano rode very well, but had 4A down. Ashley Hotz rode extremely well, with no real flaws.
Sarah Tredennick’s horse definitely looked green, and a bit wide-eyed at the atmosphere. She rode him well and positively, but he was discombobulated and didn’t give her a real chance to show off her style. He tried very hard to be good, but his eyes were out on stalks. He ran out at the narrow coop, confused. And he trotted on the turn by the ingate to the last fence, obviously in awe of the day, and the crowd laughed. Tredennick made my day by not showing any sign of frustration or disappointment, but jumping the last fence with a big grin on her face, obviously pleased with the genuine effort her horse put in, and gave him a big pat on the way out of the ring. It was nice to see that display of sportsmanship, and horsemanship.
Brooke Coleman, of Houston, Texas, rode very well and precisely. Devon Poeta also had a nice round, though a rail fell. As next to last to go, Whitney Coleman put in a really impressive trip, with accurate, forward riding. Hannah Selleck wrapped up the first round to go—with 271 actual starters after scratches. Selleck rode really well, but her horse rolled the rail off the top of the coop. She really attacked the last fence and galloped down to it, though. The judges only added three riders—Eleanor Kunsman, Laura Pfieffer and Katie Hegarty—from this last section of 77 riders to their list for Round 2
The final standby, of the 25 for the second round. This is in the order of go for Round 2, which means its in reverse order of preference….
168 – Maria Schaub
38 – Lindsay Sceats
229 – Katie Hegarty
179 – Catie Boone
178 – Victoria McNaughton
160 – Shelby Wakeman
249 – Laura Pfieffer
15 – Saer Coulter
157 – Euri Uchiyama
156 – Addison Phillips
45 – Kathryn Stenberg
105 – Torie Immel
123 – Molly Braswell
190 – Adrienne Dixon
68 – Heather Dobbs
227 – Eleanor Kunsman
31 – Amerlia McArdle
91 – Haylie Jayne
180 – Emma Lipman
101 – Zazou Hoffman
11 – Maggie McAlary
92 – Julie Welles
86 – Sloane Coles
52 – Alex Maida
181 – Kacey McCann
Blog from Round 2
I’ll try and take notes on all 25 riders in the second round, and give you an idea of what the course is like.
The course: Riders start out over an oxer (fence 1) at the far corner of the ring. Then, they rollback to the right over a white vertical (fence 2). Then, they jump a oxer-oxer one-stride (3AB) down the long side, followed in a bending five or six strides to a split rail vertical at fence 4. A sweeping right turn around the end of the ring leads to the first line of the first round, which is now an oxer (5) leading in the same forward five or quiet six strides to a vertical-oxer one-stride combination (6AB). A left turn into the corner brings them to an oxer (7) set in the corner, after which they roll back to the left to a split-rail vertical (8) starts a serpentine down the middle of the ring. A right turn to the narrow coop (9) in the middle of the ring is followed by a turn left to a white oxer (10) at the end of the ring, and then up the long side to an oxer at fence 11, then four strides to a two-stride vertical-vertical combination (12AB). This course is much more about riding off the eye.
Maria Schaub was very good and smooth, but had a hard rub at a plank oxer near the end of the course.
Lindsay Sceats was very precise and flowing, with lovely turns.
Katie Hegarty looked to be going well, but added in the one-stride combination of oxer-to-oxer, and crashed through the second element.
Catie Boone had a tough distance at one oxer, and wasn’t quite as smooth as she was in Round 1.
Victoria McNaughton rode well, but had a few rubs. A very polished performance.
Shelby Wakeman was very impressive, as she rode up to the white oxer (fence 1 in round 1) and then settled back easily to fit six strides in before the in-and-out. A very confident and smooth ride.
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Laura Pfieffer looked just a hair disorganized, and added a stride on the turn to the one-stride combination on the long side, and again in the four strides down the long side to the last in-and-out.
Saer Coulter rode very forward and elegantly, doing five strides to the in-and-out from the oxer. She might have paid for the boldness, however, as her horse took the top rail of the last vertical in the last combination, the tight two-stride down the long side.
Euri Uchiyama didn’t quite get the one stride in the oxer-oxer combination at 3AB, and crashed through the B element, with Uchiyama coming off. She appeared fine and walked out of the ring.
Addison Phillips jumped into the 3AB oxer-oxer combination a shade weak, and the horse had to reach to get over the out of the combination. But she was brilliant everywhere else, and was the first to cut inside to fence 5, a daring turn she pulled off well. She did the five strides from 6 to 6AB.
Kathryn Stenberg looked very good, just had a hair of a deep distance to the narrow coop in the middle of the ring.
Torie Immel was very smooth and polished, with only a rub into the combination at 3AB.
Molly Braswell’s first fence was a bit hesitant, but she picked up the rhythm soon and rode well, doing the five up to 6AB beautifully and finishing well.
Adrienne Dixon kept a lovely loping pace the whole way around, and presented a really elegant picture.
Heather Dobbs rode the impressive inside turn to fence 6 really well, and rode a beautiful trip. She has a bit more of a jumpery style than the classic equitation rider, but really gets the job done.
Eleanor Kunsman rode a lovely round, with no real flaws. Her horse was jumping quite powerfully!
Amelia McArdle had a rail down at 3A, and then took a long, weak distance into the last line. The horse then added in the four strides to the last combination.
Haylie Jayne had a lovely soft pace for the first two jumps, but then had to accelerate into 3AB, and had the back rail of 3A down. Then, a quiet distance into fence 5 made her decide to do the six strides up the line to 6AB. She’s a very polished rider.
Emma Lipman looked a tad hesitant at times, and had the front rail of an oxer, but is a lovely rider.
Zazou Hoffman went the inside route to 5 and 6AB, and it worked perfectly, fitting the six strides in up the line. She rode confidently and with wonderful smooth turns.
Maggie McAlary really nailed the round, with gorgeous turns and precise rides. She also took the inside track to fence 5 and did the six strides to 6AB.
Julie Welles showed all the poise and talent that has marked her career with a fluid round. She took an inside turn to 5, but swung wider to the fence than others had, then did the smooth six strides to 6AB.
Sloane Coles went the outside route to fence 5, and flowed up the line in five strides to 6AB. Her round was really smooth, with flowing turns and a definite precision and purpose to it.
Alex Maida rode conservatively, and her horse had to reach to get over the oxer at 3B. He then pulled theplank at the oxer into the last line.
Kacey McCann cantered into the ring with a real sense of purpose. She started off well, but had a rub at 3A. She rode the wide track around a fence to get to fence 5, then did the flowing five strides up to 6AB. She caught a deep distance to the oxer at the next fence, 7, however. Her turns were lovely, and she rides very forward and determinedly.
The test… Eight riders are changing horses, and jumping the second round again. The order goes….
Adrienne Dixon on Molly Braswell’s horse… She rode very well, going outside to fence 5 and up the line in five strides. Her turns were very smooth, and it was a very impressive performance.
Molly Braswell on Adrienne Dixon’s horse… She looked to have some trouble getting the horse up to pace, and missed a lead change behind on the turn from fence 1 to 2. She jumped into 3AB a bit weakly, and the horse had to struggle slightly to get out over 3B.
Alex Maida on Eleanor Kunsman’s horse… She looked entirely comfortable on Kunsman’s mount, and ride forward and fluidly to a lovely, confident round. Really nicely done.
Eleanor Kunsman on Alex Maida’s horse… She had a hard rub at fence 1, and then was slow into 3AB, and the horse struggled a bit over both elements. She finished very well, though, and has a lot of talent and feel.
Julie Welles on Zazou Hoffman’s horse… She rode Littlefoot very well, but had a hard rub at 3A and 6A. A very stylish round–smooth and professional.
Zazou Hoffman on Julie Welles’ horse… There was clucking from the in-gate area as Zazou rode into 3AB, and the horse had to reach over the oxer out of the combination. She seemed a shade under the pace throughout, but rode with a real aplomb and confidence that belies her 14 years.
Maggie McAlary on Sloane Coles’ horse… She rode ride up to fence 1 and had a hard rub there, and another at 3A and the oxer at 7. McAlary rode with real confidence.
Sloane Coles on Maggie McAlary’s horse… Sloane really galloped to the first fence, and nailed it. She came back well for the rollback to 2, and negotiated the long one-stride at 3AB very well. McAlary’s horse seemed to hesitate off the ground at 6A, and then a deep distance to the narrow coop at 9 resulted in the top rail falling. Sloane really attacked the course.
We’ll see what the judges do with this!!!
THE RESULTS…
1st Maggie McAlary
2nd Julie Welles
3rd Adrienne Dixon
4th Sloane Coles
5th Zazou Hoffman
6th Alex Maida
7th Eleanor Kunsman
8th Molly Braswell
9th Kacey McCann
10th Haylie Jayne
